Flashpoint Beyond #3 Review

Written by: Geoff Johns, Jeremy Adam, Tim Sheridan

Art by: Xermánico, Mikel Janín
Colors by: Romulo Fajardo Jr., Jordie Bellaire
Letters by: Rob Leigh
Cover art by: Mitch Gerads
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: July 5, 2022


Flashpoint Beyond #3 shows the world just how far Flashpoint's Superman has come with a little help from Poison Ivy and Swamp Thing. Meanwhile, an imminent threat to Flashpoint's Earth is discovered, and Reverse Flash learns the meaning of the phrase "Time's Up."

Was It Good?

Flashpoint Beyond #3 takes a big step toward justifying its existence by tying the story into the Dark Crisis event, Hypertime, the Omniverse, and whatever else you can imagine is going on with DC at the moment. Does it make sense? Not yet. Does the Dark Crisis connection make the return to the Flashpoint timeline more meaningful? Not yet. Have I decided if this series is worth reading? Not yet.

When last we left Thomas Wayne/Flashpoint Batman, he got a face full of pushback in a dark alley by Flashpoint Superman's arrival in the story. Now, Superman drags Batman to a Flashpoint Fortress of Solitude that serves as a refugee camp for the displaced of the world. Rather than an ice/crustal construct, this new fortress is created, with the help of Poison Ivy and the Jason Woodrue/Swamp Thing, as a peaceful arboretum. The trio reveals Kal-El was sent to Earth as an infant to pave the way for a Kryptonian invasion ala Goku from Dragon Ball.

On its face, the premise of Batman getting drafted to help Superman stave off a Kryptonian invasion sounds like stuff tailor-made for JL/World's Finest goodness, but it comes in at a confusing time for a series that hasn't divulged its true purpose, especially when its ties are made more clear in the prologue. This issue is the halfway point for the run, and it's not clear who resurrected the Flashpoint timeline or why.
Thomas Wayne, realizing what's truly at stake, rejects the request for help and heads back to Gotham, leaving readers to wonder what it was all for. The Kryptonian invasion establishes a ticking clock of five days for the main character, but that's all.

Elsewhere, we get the absolute highlight of this series - Butler Penguin's ill-advised training of Dexter Dent into becoming Flashpoint Robin. During this training, we get a brief Reverse Flash appearance as he searches for Thomas Wayne. His search comes to a painful end later.

Later, we get a prologue involving the Time Masters spelling out their awareness of Hypertime, the Omniverse, Thomas Wayne's efforts, and how it's all coming together or falling apart.

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About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.


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Bits and Pieces:

I want to have fun with Flashpoint Beyond #3. The art is fantastic. The pacing, dialog, and little Easter Eggs of Flashpoint characters are cool. And, Butler Penguin is the breakout bright spot of the series. However, there's a lot to keep straight, and you feel like this is tied into something bigger, but the conflict for the main character (Thomas Wayne must undo Flashpoint) still feels like a retread with a fresh coat of paint.

8/10